Wednesday Recruitin'
Deciding Soon
Decision day approaches for OH S Jarrod Wilson, who will make his choice public on Friday at 2:45PM. Michigan, Penn State, and Notre Dame are the finalists, and the general vibe seems to be that Michigan has at least as good a shot at landing him as the other two schools.
Should Wilson pick Michigan, KY S Jeremy Clark will keep his greyshirt offer from Michigan, but it's expected that Clark will receiver a full scholarship offer for the 2012 class if Wilson picks the Nittany Lions or Irish.
Holding the Lines
Michigan's recruiting on both side of the line of scrimmage has gone well already, and it could get better soon.
CA OL Commit Erik Magnuson comes in for some praise from Rivals following the B2G camp (H/T Bodogblog on the message board):
According to camp position coach Courtney Morgan, Erik Magnuson was the best offensive lineman in attendance and it's really no surprise since the four-star tackle from Carlsbad (Calif.) La Costa Canyon has proven multiple times that he's one of the best in the country.
Magnuson has great footwork, plays with a lot of intensity and passion, and simply doesn't let defensive ends around him. He was really good at the B2G Camp, the Stanford NIKE Camp and the Asante Trenchmen Academy this spring and summer.
In an absolutely loaded group of offensive linemen in the West this recruiting cycle, Magnuson continues to prove he's one of the best.
Of note, Courtney Morgan happens to be a former Wolverine, and a mentor of CA OL Jordan Simmons. Tom spoke with Magnuson's high school head coach:
"He's one of the most athletic offensive linemen in the country," he said. "That's his big selling point is that he's a real athlete. At that size, a full 6-foot-6 and 280 plus pounds he can run with just about everybody on the team. It's ridiculous how athletic he is."
He also mentions that Magnuson is one of the hardest workers out there, and athletic enough to practice at wide receiver(!!!!) for his high school team.
AZ OL Andrus Peat's top 10:
Arizona State, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Michigan, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Stanford, Texas, USC (Southern California).
Michigan may be a longshot, but staying on the list this late into the game definitely gives them a chance.
MO DT Ondre Pipkins took to Twitter last week to provide a recruiting update. Per MGoShoe's recap:
- Top 6 (in order): Michigan, Tennessee, Alabama, Oklahoma, Missouri, Florida
- Intends to take officials in the fall
- Hasn't been in contact with other Michigan recruits
- Has visited Missouri, Kansas, Ohio State
- Hopes to visit Michigan soon
- Wants to major in business administration or communication
Not a whole lot of new stuff (aside from the teams joining Michigan in his top six), but it's good to hear it directly from the prospect's mouth.
MI DT Danny O'Brien fluff from the Flint Journal:
While O'Brien said all the right things about the embattled Rodriguez at the time, he believes that the program is heading in the right direction under new coach Brady Hoke.
"Their new coaching staff is unbelievable," O'Brien said... "I think they're going to make a big turnaround, especially with the recruiting classes they're pulling in."
O'Brien and Pipkins seem to be the top two prospects for Michigan's nose tackle spot in the 2012 class, though Brian would prefer two 1-techs in the 2012 crop.
More of the same, as OH DE Chris Wormley tells the Toledo Blade's Ryan Autullo that Michigan leads for his services. As far as timeline goes, he plans to decide by the end of August, but a choice could come any time.
MD DE Ryan Watson has a top four of Michigan State, Michigan, Tennessee, and Georgia Tech.
Other People's (De)Commits
NY DT Jarron Jones is back on the market, decommitting from Penn State this week. However, with Michigan's current recruiting situation at defensive tackle, the Wolverines probably aren't a serious contender for his services.
After decommitting from Stanford, CA DT Aziz Shittu publicly hoped that he gets a chance to check out Michigan before the class is full. Tom talked to him about recruiting, and Aziz may try to take in Ann Arbor the weekend of the Notre Dame game.
CA WR Jordan Payton has decommitted from USC, and Michigan is among the schools he will consider:
The 6-foot-2, 195-pounder will likely play most of his recruitment close to the vest before announcing and one of the key reasons why is the fact that he's trying to orchestrate a few other players to join him at his eventual destination.
“I'm going to tell you this, it's going to be interesting the next couple of weeks for in recruiting,” Payton said. “You're going to see a lot of changes. Just think Fab Five.” Knowing how the comment would sound, Payton was quick to clarify “like” the Fab Five and that it didn't mean they were for sure headed to Michigan.
He said he's "not sure" he wants to stay in Los Angeles for his college career. He tells Tom that Michigan is in it for him (with a little more detail in the Weekly Update).
ESPN's "The Opening" is taking place as we speak in Oregon, with a number of Michigan commits:
- Erik Magnuson
- Mario Ojemudia
- Terry Richardson
- James Ross
- Anthony Standifer
...and targets:
- Zach Banner
- Adam Bisnowaty
- Bri'Onte Dunn
- Durron Neal
- Danny O'Brien
- Aziz Shittu
- Jordan Simmons
in attendance (among many others). If you want to see this event with your very own eyeballs, it's airing on ESPNU tomorrow at 9 and 10PM, Friday at 8 and 9PM, Saturday at 6, 7, and 9PM, and Sunday at 6AM, noon, and 1:30PM.
Happy Trails
- IN QB James Knapke committed to Bowling Green.
- IN QB Zach Terrell and IL QB Anthony Maddie committed to Western Michigan.
- MA QB AJ Doyle committed to NC State.
- FL QB Bennie Coney doesn't mention Michigan in a recent video interview, and in fact he told Tom he's no longer considering the Wolverines.
- IL DT Jaleel Johnson will pick between Michigan State and Iowa.
- UT DE Troy Hinds will decide soon from a list of six schools that doesn't include Michigan (it does include Utah, BYU, Stanford, Cal, Notre Dame, and Nebraska).
- Michigan is outside the final five for OH DE Ifeadi Odenigbo. Ohio State and a cast of good academic schools (Northwestern, Notre Dame, Cal, and Stanford) make his list.
- TX CB Will Hines committed to Missouri.
With Michigan's class filling up, it's not a surprise that prospects are picking other schools with greater frequency.
Etc.
ESPN's Jeremy Crabtree does not think Michigan is the leader for OH QB Maty Mauk. With conventional wisdom saying that IN QB Gunner Kiel is leaning elsewhere as well, top-flight quarterback options are dwindling for the 2012 crop.
Tom talks to MI RB Juwan Lewis (and his father) about recruiting, but it doesn't sound like a Michigan offer is coming soon.
The Cincinnati Enquirer has 50 local high school football players to keep an eye on this fall, and a few players of Michigan interest appear. Commits:
- #2 Joe Bolden
- #5 AJ Williams
- #7 Caleb Stacey
Targets DE Adolphus Washington (who has Michigan in his top 5 - and Ohio State out of it), Dwayne Stanford, and many juniors also appear.
2013
MI QB Commit Shane Morris highlights from the Madden 7-on-7 championships:
Très impressionnant, and it's a scientifically proven fact that lefties just look much better throwing the ball.
Local fluff on MI OL Steven Elmer and his relationship with former Detroit Lion Lomas Brown.
“My timeline is whenever I’m absolutely sure that’s where I’m going to go,” he said. “I would prefer not to wait until the last possible second. But I’m not rushed. I still have a lot of time. I want to make the most informed decision and involve my family. ... It’s going to be tough to make a decision to pull some of these schools out of the running,” he admitted.
With more than 18 months until Signing Day, it doesn't sound like he's expecting a decision any time soon. He's done attending summer camps for the summer.
Tom talked with IL OL Kyle Bosch, who would like to hear from Michigan.
"Michigan still leads" for OH S/RB Dymonte Thomas ($, info in header).
ESPN fluff on TX WR Jake Oliver, who has already received a Michigan offer.
"I've coached coaches' sons before and they just have a real feel for the game," Jesuit coach Brandon Hickman said. "He just has a knack for the ball and he runs great routes, precision routes. His hands are probably the best I've ever seen as a coach." Combine all that with Jake's size at 6-foot-4, 194 pounds, and college scouts had plenty of reasons to visit Jesuit during the offseason. It's clear they liked what they saw, as he already has received 10 Division-I offers from schools like Texas A&M, Michigan, Texas Tech, Arizona and Arkansas.
Once the 2012 class is wrapped up (which could happen absurdly soon), we'll have a better idea what the needs for 2013 are.
He's an Aggie legacy, and will be a tough pull. Would be great to see another Texas kid up at Michigan, though.
Especially if we only take one WR in this (2012) class, early playing time will be a huge sell for Michigan to WR recruits. Next year we will probably only have Stokes, Roundtree, Jackson, and Robinson at outside WR (plus any freshman WR recruits), with Stokes and Roundtree being SRs. A 2013 WR recruit would see 3-4 (4 if we take 2 in the 2012 class) outside WR on the roster and think early playing time. Plus an elite QB recruit (seems pretty good so far) like Morris and a 5 star Devin Gard with a year or two of eligibility left. Might help Oliver think about heading North. Also, winning a lot this year would help.
You are correct, sir! But I think the fact stands, things are looking pretty anemic at WR next year, unless the cavalry is on the way.
a return specialist and not really a offensive weapon? i know desmond was 5'10", but even breaston was 6' and most of the other WRs likely to see time are at least 6'-0".
Brought up Dileos name in the spring a few times in regards to being a contributor on the offensive side of the ball. It's cliche to make the comparison but I mean look at who he's an exact replica of...Hint, Tom Brady likes this target
He's an exact replica of Gisele..?!
Look, I'm not saying the guy is going to win the Heisman or be an All-American, but he wouldn't be the first shifty 5'10" receiver to contribute on a Big Ten team. I'm not even saying he'll be our leading receiver (even though he could) but he's certainly a guy who will see a lot of balls for a couple years as an upperclassman.
I'm surprised how quick people are to write off Dileo - he's fast, runs good routes and has great hands.
Dileo has the look of a return specialist that can make an impact as an upperclassman in the slot. I would think of him as Steve Breaston light if he develops enough as a wideout. Similar things can be said of 5'8'' Jeremy Gallon in 2012 and 2013. Those two will likely get the majority of the time in the slot and in 4-wide sets (hopefully these don't disappear altogether over time).
That leaves Jeremy Jackson, Jerald Robinson, and Je'Ron Stokes battling for time out wide with whoever Hoke manages to get in 2012 (fingers crossed). Roundtree would return for 2012 as the primary receiver, but there would be a major void in the offense for 2013 with his departure. Adding a strong 4-star type (I'm pulling for Payton, Stanford, or Burbridge) should go a long way in turning what would be a mediocre group into a strength.
The dawn of the Hoke era would be a phenomenal time to find the next great UM receiver ready to earn the #1 jersey, especially looking at our potential 2012-2014 starting QBs with senior Denard, then junior/senior Gardner (medical redshirt please!), and sophomore Morris as the hopeful progression.
I wasn't aiming to discount Dileo and I know Hoke has been singing his praises and I think he will be a great contribution, but I was referring more to the outside WR situation. It seems Dileo will be a slot guy, and although coaches (Borges) will include the slot position in the offense for the next couple of years, I haven't heard anything about him moving outside. Not to say it is impossible, since Roundtree has been making the transition, but Roy is at least a little bigger and faster (I think, don't really have proof or confirmation) than Dileo.
I can't remember who, but one of the coaches (or maybe a Rivals guy) referenced Wes Welker when talking about Dileo, calling him a guy to move the chains and be a dependable target. I think he will contribute greatly, but we will still have open spots and early playing opportunity for 2013 WR recruits, and will hopefully land a blue chip guy or two.
True, I understand it wouldn't be a slot in the sense RR had one, but more like a 3rd receiver in the slot position. I guess they could use him on the outside a bit too, or if they lined up two receivers on one side then they could put him on one side. My concern is that in the 2012 season, our starting prototypical (or whatever) outside receivers (I don't know the specifics about WR play in football, such as the X's and O's etc.) will be Jerald Robinson, Jeremy Jackson, Jeron Stokes, and Roundtree. If Gallon truly was the last on the slot depth chart at the end of spring, I wonder if he is a guy who will be around down the road. Obviously Roundtree is pretty good, but Stokes hasn't shown much, and Jackson and Robinson weren't very heralded as recruits. They still have some time to develop, but if someone were to get injured we would be relying on a slim rotation with not a lot of top talent for Denard. Any recruits we bring in would be freshman and we aren't in on many obvious immediate contibutors (Burrbridge might not qualify, which leaves Stanford and Payton). It could be a weak position, like corner has been the last couple of years due to injuries, poor recruiting, and players not panning out.
I would absolutely love getting Oliver and Treadwell in 2013. Getting those two (possibly more? Probably 2..) would be a great addition to whoever we get this year.
Morris should be able to do some solid recruiting next year
You're probably correct but there is this:
And despite the success his father had at Texas A&M, Jake said there's no pressure for him to follow in his footsteps.
"He really doesn't care," Jake said. "He wants me to do my own thing."
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recruiting/football/news/story?id=6722044
Since Ross is out west at the ESPN/NIke thingy. I see they spent the first day getting timed. This would be the first official time for Ross in the 40 (or many other events too). Does anyone know what he ran (if he ran) ?
He tweaked a hammy and pulled up. Unsure if he's going to do any workouts for the rest of the camp.
Do these kids bother to stretch or warm up before these forty times? I always hear of guys tweaking hammy's and pulling muscles, which if properly warmed up and stretched out, shouldn't be a big problem for kids around 16-18. Jogging a bit then stretching the muscles should really help prevent the injuries. If they are just too cocky and go into them cold, then it is a lot easier to injure your muscles by going from 0 to 100 (percent of exertion). It is just odd you hear of these guys who are in such good shape pull muscles doing 40 times at recruiting events, Pro Days, or the Combine.
It's not a matter of being cocky.... yikes. It's a little bit mechanics, little bit flexability, little bit strength... and a little bit not loosening up properly and also quite a bit hydration.
You hear of hamstring strains with olympic and professional sprinters and I'm sure that is a population that does everything right.
Hope it is a minor aggrevation for him. I heard he worked through a nagging injury last year too.
I was just curious what an official time was for him in a forty. He looks fantasmagorical in terms of quickness, heard he is realistically a 4.9 guy from coaches in his league but I am sure that will be improved considerably once he gets to M and is really trained. Good luck to him.
6-foot-4 WR? Yes please! Hope we recruit Oliver hard, he looks to be a good one.
Tim: Facebook is getting new features in the near future, such as group chat and video chat.
How will this effect recruiting? Will there be new restrictions?
<br>-Chet
<br>PS- Can someone please combine the posts?
Dude, you forgot to add the part about "Posted from iPhone" in the subject line.
Watching that Morris 7 on 7 video at the beginning I wasn't that impressed only because it seemed a lot of the throws were easy but as it went on man you see he puts a beautiful touch on the ball and made some great throws.
He has some little flaws you can tell sometimes on his passes if you watch his head he only looks at the receiver he is throwing to and I think two of his throws were questionable. Still, especially considering this is a 2013 commit we are seeing the guy is fantastic and can't wait to have him here. Shane really has a chance to be special.
"only looks to one receiver" - that's because in 7 on 7 QBs RARELY check down to other options. Just a little FYI from the people who know a lot about football on here.
<br>-Chet
Morris seems to really have a cannon, with a nice touch to boot.
Morris looks good in the 7 on 7 video. Is that Norfleet who makes the catch and moves at 1:16? He's got some shiftyness to him.
Note to Jarrod Wilson:
ND-Just Recrutied a 3rd Safety this class...
Penn State Depth Chart:
Safety:
Nick Sukay (6-1, 209, Sr/Jr)
Drew Astorino (5-10, 193, Sr/Jr)
Andrew Dailey (6-2, 222, Sr/Jr)
Jake Fagnano (6-0, 203, Jr/So)
Malcolm Willis (5-11, 217,So/Fr)
Stephen Obeng-Agyapong (5-10, 196, So/Fr)
Michigan Depth Chart:
Safety:
NOBODY! SERIOUSLY NOBODY!
Are you officially a "booster" now?
Wilson is a must as he will fill a spot that is in a dire need to be filled. He could be a starter / contributor for years to come. Also, with the OL and DL just about full, it will be interesting to see who pulls the trigger first and see who fills in the last few spots.
I thought Wilson was deciding at 2:30. Now it's 2:45?!?!?
WHY THE DELAY?? IS HE HAVING A CHANGE OF HEART?!?!
/s
I'm glad to hear we're still on Ryan Watson's radar. I hope that's more than a "resume padding" addition to his top four, as he could potentially fill different needs based on what recruits we miss out on moving forward. Go West, young man! And not to Michigan State.
Is Clark getting a scholarship if Wilson goes elsewhere? That's what it sounded like from Tom (and Tim, too), but aren't we still in it for higher ranked guys like Shumate and Yuri Wright? Or is our last DB now simply either Wilson or Clark?
Also, Erik Magnuson is good at football.
Neither Wright or Shumate are coming to Michigan.
I was just over at rivals and saw they did one of their live chats with devin fuller on 7/1. Did a search and didn't find anything.
Mentions Michigan a couple of times, confirms what Tom reported, good and lil' creepy read.
Heres the link
http://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1236387
wayne morgan is said to have had a michigan hat on all morning. i thought that ship had sailed?
It's a hat. No need to read anything in to it.
He seems to be looking around 360.
With limited space I believe in only giving spots to elite at QB and RB this year. f Mauk and Kiel are out at QB and if Dunne takes himself ou at RB I want those spots going towards other areas of need rather than an ok QB or RB. Preferably I'd put those spots towards an extra DL or WR that we might not have been able to fit in otherwise.
I concur with every single word you just said. There are so many excellent line players currently considering us that we'd be crazy to burn scholarships on a sub-elite RB especially. I'm also thinking we wait a year on a FB (or go the greyshirt route). There are plenty of teams that do just fine with walk-ons at FB, and I'm sure we have someone that would be serviceable for this year.
A fullback, at least a good one, can play a huge role in the offense. As it stands right now, we have a walk-on senior and a walk-on true freshman as our fullbacks. If Kerridge doesn't end up being all that good, we're left with Stephen Hopkins who might also be our starting RB or one of our top choices there, especially if we don't take a RB in this class.
EJ Fatu is one of the top fullbacks in the country and is by all accounts a badass. If we could bring him in to block for Hopkins and Rawls for four years, our offense could get nasty.
Fatu would likely only block for Hopkins for a year, and Rawls for a couple. But I get your point.
Why do you say that? Hopkins was in the 2010 class, Rawls the 2011 and Fatu is 2012. That means he would block for Hopkins for 2 years and Rawls for 3. Maybe even 4 if Rawls redshirts, but I don't think he will.
But yes, I should have said "come in and block for guys like Hopkins and Rawls for four years."
Check out the prospects that Ace Williams side-kick Tyler Morgan is predicting that Michigan is going to pick up for the recruiting class of 2012... http://www.chatsports.com/michigan-wolverines/a/Predicted-2012-Michigan-Recruiting-Class-10-2-258
He didn't exactly go out on a limb for any of those, anyone on this board could have made that prediction. Most all of those are either leans or strong leans except for Burbridge, Stanford and Washington, who are all close to leans anyway.
Still not sure we'll have 26 spots available, but it will be close. I think we take one WR though.
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